Chapter 123: The Five People Request

Chapter 123: Chapter 123: The Five People Request

The revelation that the Bloodshadow Cult’s leader had infiltrated Arcadia Academy sent a wave of disbelief through the crowd.

"Stanley, are you sure about this? You’re saying the sect leader himself is here?" someone asked.

"Who else could it be?" Stanley said.

"He calls himself the God of Death, and that title is infamous throughout the region. Apart from the Bloodshadow Cult’s leader, who else would dare use that name if they were not seeking death?"

"Has he completely lost his mind? Attacking Arcadia Academy is practically declaring war on the authorities!"

"Stop talking nonsense!" another instructor snapped.

"The God of Death is a nationally wanted criminal. He doesn’t care about the law or the consequences. We need to figure out how to survive this!"

"I heard he’s already reached the Star Sea Realm. If that’s true, we’re in serious trouble!"

Many of the younger students had barely heard of the Bloodshadow Cult before today.

The older instructors, however, understood exactly what Damon Veil’s arrival meant.

Their expressions changed as the reality of the situation sank in.

A notorious reputation was rarely built without reason.

Damon was not merely the leader of a dangerous organization.

He was a nationally wanted criminal whose name alone was enough to frighten experienced martial artists.

Rumors claimed that the only people within the Bloodshadow Cult who had seen his face and lived to tell the tale were its two deputy leaders.

Everyone else who had learned his true identity had supposedly been silenced.

And he was a Star Sea Realm expert.

Within the Valemont region, that cultivation level placed him among the most formidable martial artists alive.

Ordinary instructors and students stood little chance against someone of his caliber.

The situation was made worse by Vice Principal Johnny’s absence.

He had gone toward the back hill after the lightning tribulation appeared, leaving the academy without its most powerful leader at precisely the moment it needed him.

Thousands of teachers and students now stood trapped inside a sealed campus with a notorious killer.

To Damon, they were little more than helpless prey. The question was no longer whether they could defeat him. It was whether any of them would survive until help arrived.

Within seconds, the crowd began dividing into two opposing groups.

One side argued that everyone should stand together and fight.

Although Damon was overwhelmingly powerful, they believed that thousands of martial artists working together might still create an opportunity to resist him.

The other group, led by people who shared Stanley’s concerns, insisted that resistance was pointless.

Against a Star Sea Realm expert, even a united force of ordinary teachers and students would be little more than an obstacle he could crush at will.

Their best chance, they argued, was to scatter and hide.

If they could avoid being discovered, they might survive long enough for the authorities to break through the barrier.

Neither side was willing to yield.

Those who wanted to fight accused the others of cowardice, while those who favored hiding dismissed the idea of confronting an enemy they could not hope to defeat.

They had no way of knowing whether reinforcements would arrive in time, and every decision seemed capable of costing them their lives.

Before they could reach an agreement, however, the choice was taken away from them.

A figure appeared in front of the gathered crowd.

It was Damon, still wearing Calvin’s face.

He stood calmly before thousands of people, showing no concern for the number of martial artists surrounding him.

He had deliberately retained his disguise because he had no intention of slaughtering everyone on the campus.

There was a considerable difference between taking a handful of carefully selected targets and wiping out an entire academy.

If thousands of teachers and students were killed, the government would undoubtedly launch a massive investigation and mobilize overwhelming forces to hunt him down.

Even his Star Sea Realm cultivation might not be enough to save him from the consequences.

But if a few promising students disappeared, the authorities’ response would be considerably less severe.

The incident could still be investigated, but it was unlikely to provoke the same level of outrage as a complete massacre.

After years of operating in the shadows, Damon understood how far he could push his luck.

Unfortunately for the people standing before him, he had no intention of leaving empty handed.

"You’ve already wasted your chance," he said, his quiet declaration carrying across the playground.

Thousands of people stared at him, but nobody dared to make the first move.

An older female instructor stepped forward, unable to suppress her anger.

"God of Death, do you really think you can get away with this?" she demanded.

"Do you believe the next generation of martial artists will simply forget what you’ve done? The authorities have experts far stronger than you. Sooner or later, you’ll pay for attacking our academy!"

Damon regarded her with indifference. He casually lifted one hand and flicked his fingers.

The instructor’s threat ended before she could say another word.

Her head burst apart in an instant, and her body collapsed before the horrified teachers and students around her could even react.

A wave of screams swept through the playground.

Damon lowered his hand and looked at the crowd as though the interruption had merely inconvenienced him.

"How tedious," he said. "I didn’t come here to entertain you."

His gaze moved slowly across the thousands of frightened faces.

"Understand your position," he said.

"Anyone foolish enough to mistake my restraint for weakness will only have themselves to blame." He allowed the silence to settle before continuing.

"However, I’m not interested in killing everyone here. I have a specific objective, and as long as you cooperate, the rest of you can leave this place alive."

The crowd listened in terrified silence.

"I want five people," he said.

"Nathaniel Cross from Class One of the second year. Oliver Pratt from Class Six of the third year. Wendy Shaw from Class Two of the fourth year. Marcus Reed, the academy’s gatekeeper. And finally, Mira from Class One of the first year."

He paused, then straightened his clothes with an almost leisurely gesture.

"Since some of you may not recognize me, allow me to introduce myself properly," he said.

"I am Damon Veil, leader of the Bloodshadow Cult. I have reached the Star Sea Realm, and you would be wise to remember what that means."

He raised a finger and pointed toward the viewing platform at the far end of the playground.

An invisible force descended upon a section of the structure.

Roughly three hundred square meters of the viewing platform collapsed under the pressure, its concrete supports and seating crushed into rubble.

The ground beneath it caved in, leaving a vast depression surrounded by broken fragments.

The destruction occurred so suddenly that many people did not even understand what they were seeing until the dust began to rise.

Damon glanced at the ruined platform and nodded with satisfaction when he saw the expressions on the crowd’s faces.

"Don’t make me lose my patience," he said.

"You won’t enjoy seeing what happens when I become serious." His voice remained calm, but the threat behind his words was unmistakable.

"You have one minute to decide. Hand over the five people I named, and everyone else will be spared. Refuse, and you’ll have to accept the consequences." He raised his hand slightly. "Your time starts now."

Although he was not shouting, his voice carried clearly to every corner of the playground. Nobody could pretend they had not heard him.

The five people Damon had selected were no ordinary students or staff members.

Nathaniel Cross, a second year student in Class One, possessed the Fiery Martial Body.

Oliver Pratt, who studied in Class Six of the third year, had awakened the Indestructible Martial Body.

Wendy Shaw, a fourth year student in Class Two, possessed the Wind Spirit Martial Body.

Two days earlier, Marcus Reed had awakened the Sacred Martial Body, transforming himself from an ordinary gatekeeper into a promising martial artist almost overnight.

Mira was an even more remarkable target. Her Frost Phoenix Bloodline had made her one of the academy’s most prized prodigies, and her rapid progress had attracted the attention of powerful figures beyond its walls.

Damon had spent two and a half days observing the academy and gathering information.

By the time he activated his formation, he had identified the five people he considered the most valuable prey on the entire campus.

Now, he intended to take them with him.

For a moment after his ultimatum, the playground remained silent. Then the crowd erupted.

"Is that really what a Star Sea Realm expert can do? He destroyed the entire platform with one attack!"

"We’re doomed! He can kill any of us whenever he wants. How are we supposed to fight someone like that?"

"I don’t want to die! Please, somebody do something!"

"Calm down! We need to think rationally!"

"Think rationally? Did you see what he just did? If he attacks the crowd, hundreds of people could die before anyone even has time to react!"

"Then give him the five people he wants! He said he’ll let the rest of us go!"

That final suggestion spread quickly.